Elastic wheel with flexible rim



June 16, 1931. RlMAILHo ELASTIC WHEEL WITH FLEXIBLE RIM Filed May 15, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet l June 1 6, 1931. E. RIMAILHO 1,810,854

ELASTIC WHEEL WIT H FLEXIBLE RIM FilecLMaQy 13, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet June 16, 1931. E. RIMAILHO 1,810,854

ELASTIC WHEEL WITH FLEXIBLE RIM Filed May 13, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 nvven-me June 16, 1931. E. RIMAILHO ELASTIC WHEEL WITH FLEXIBLE RIM 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 13, 1927 June 16, 1931 E. RIMAILHO ELASTIC WHEEL WITH FLEXIBLE RIM Filed May 13, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Z Email/w- Ve-T o8 WWW Patented June '16, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMILE RIMAILI-IO, Ennis, FRANCE ELASTIC WHEEL WITH FLEXIBLE IM Application filed May 13, 1927, Serial No. 191,200, and in France May 25, 1926.

It has already been proposed to employ elastic wheels comprising a central part rigidly connected to the hub and an outer more or The present inventionhas for its object to provide a wheelof this class in which the rim is constituted by circular flexible strips,

these strips supporting bearing pieces to which are secured the india-rubber rings connecting the rim to the middle of the wheel, these bearing pieces being provided with stops disposed upon the circumference so as to maintain the said pieces apart, these pieces pressing between them india-rubber blocks acting as interposed elastic elements and as tread segments.

' A flexible wheel rim in accordance with the invention will not remain exactly circular, and when it has the proper dimensions it will become elliptical under a load applied to the hub, and will become locally flattened or otherwise distorted when in contact with an obstacle.

In the said device, the outer rigid circular element or rim is eliminated, and I thus obviate all rolling stress upon the elastic tyre which is usually mounted on the said rigid wheel rim. I also facilitate the use of removable elements for the rolling portion, and

these can be renewed after wear, and are securely held in place in order to withstand the centrifugal action and to provide for operation at high speeds.

The diagrammatic views which are shown 4 in Figs. 1 and 2 represent the form of the said tyres, by which the functioning will be under stood. The wheel rim herein consists of the links 1 which are connected together by the pivots 2 and comprise the sides 3 and 4 which are reduced towards the exterior, and the sides 5 and 6 which are reduced towards the interior. As shown in Fig. 2, the said wheel rim rests upon the ground a b and is flattened by its own weight. It is observed that the form thus assumed will be represented by the two circles O and 0 whose radius is the radius of curvature at the ends of the large horizontal axis, said circles being connected together by the lines a b, a b at the top and bottom. The form is chiefly defined by the spacing between the sides5 and 6, in order to'fix the radiusof the circles O and O, for the sinking will cease when 5 and 6 are in con,- tact. In like manner, the spacing between the sides 3 and 4 will define the lines a' b,

a Z) whose descent will cease when? and 4 are in contact. In this manner I may already limit the maximum'deformation of'the wheel rim by the proper choice of the inclination of the sides 3 and 4 and the sides Sand 6. A second method of reacting against the descent of the wheel rim which is thus formedis shown in Fig. 3, and herein I place elastic elements between the sides 3 and 4 which act in an elastic manner to prevent the sides from coming together. The action of such elastic elements will be the optimum when the spring 7 tends to separate 3 from 4, and the spring 8 will tend to approach "5 from 6 at the same time, or vice versa.

tension. In Fig. 4 it is noted that although the horizontal parts 91O and 1112 are stretched to a'greater extent than the vertical strands 1314and 1516, the increase in the tension .of the horizontal strands will react in an elastic manner against the deformation of the wheel rim. I

F ig o shows that the individual pivots 2 may be replaced by a continuous flexible band 17 upon which are mounted the blocks 1. The band 17 may perform by its own elasticity the function of the Fig.3.

Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 illust theoretical data.

springs? and 8 shown in rate the preceding Fi s. 6 to 9 relate to a constructionad. cording to the invention in which the core ofthe flexible rim consists of s hoops, in which views pring. steelv IOU Fig. dis a partial front view of the wheel with parts broken away in section.

Fig. 7 is a cross section of the same according to line VIIVII of the Fig. 6.

Figs. 8 and 9 are fragmental circumferential sectional views according to lines VIIIVIII and IXIX respectively of the Fig. 7. r

In Figs. 6 to 9, the flexible rim comprises two circular elastic metallic strips 17 and 18 upon which are mounted bearing pieces 19, each of which comprises a plate 20 in contact with the exterior of said strips.

Inside of these strips, each piece 19 comprises two arms 21 disposed perpendicularly to the plane of the wheel and forming axles to which are hooked two tension rings34 preferably of rubber; saiclrings preferably converge two by two towards the interior of the-wheel whereby it will be better strengthened. The tensionrings on the other hand are hooked to axles 12 integral with pieces 13owhich are maintained on the two sides of the web 29 of the wheel by axles 14.

Each piece 19 furthercomprises, on both sides of its middle part, in the plane of the wheel, an extension 22 which is disposed be tween the metallic strips. H

Said extensions 22 make two by two mutual contact at 28. j

Between the bearingpieces 19 are disposed india-rubber blocks 15, by example, maintained by hoops 16. I

A strap 26 embraces each piece 19, surrounding the hoops 16 and its ends are attached to arms 21.

Each piece 19 further comprises, inside the strips 17 and 18, an end part 27 provided with an india-rubber buffer 28 adapted to make contact with pieces 13, either when the deformation of the elastic wheel rim is excessive or when the eccentricity of the hub is too great.

Having thus described my apparatus, what I claim as new therein, and my own invention, is:

1. In an elastic wheel, the combination of an internal rigid circular element, an external flexible rim, elastic members subjected to tension connecting the said rigid circular element with the said flexible rim, this rim being constituted by at least one circular flexible strip, bearing pieces carried by the strips and to which are attached the said elastic members, these bearing pieces being provided with stops disposed upon the circumference so as to maintain the said pieces apart, india rubber blocks pressed between these pieces and acting as interposed elastic elements and as removable tread segments.

2. In an elastic wheel, the combination of an internal rigid circular element, an external flexible rim, elastic members subjected to tension connecting the said rigid circular element with the said flexible rim, this rim being constituted by two circular flexible strips having between them an interval, bearing pieces maintained in these intervals and to which the said elastic members are attached, these bearing pieces being provided with stops, disposed upon the circumference so as to maintain the said pieces apart, india rubber blocks pressed by these pieces and acting as interposed elastic elements and as removable tread segments.

3.. In an elastic wheel, the combination of an internal rigid circular element, an external flexible rim, elastic members subjected to tension connecting the said rigid circular element with the said flexible rim, the said rim being constituted-by at least one circular flexible strip, bearing pieces carried by these strips and to which the said elastic members are attached, these bearing pieces being provided with stops disposed upon the circumference so as to maintain the said pieces apart, india rubber blocks pressed by these pieces and acting asremovable tread sege ments, and the parts of these pieces which are nearest to the center carrying stops which limit the deformation of the rim in the direction in which this deformation increases the radiusof curvature of the said rim.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

. EMILE RIMAILHO. 

